Mounting for electrical devices



T. A. BOTH MOUNTING FOR ELECTRICAL DEVICES Dec. 4, 1928.

Filed March 24, 1924 Patented Dec. 4, 1928. y

UNITED STATES A 1,694,159 PATENT oFFicE.

TONJES A. BOTH, OF STRATFORD, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO TEE CONNECTICUT ELECTRIC MANUFACTURING COMPANY, F BRIDGEIPORT, CONNECTICUT, A COR- PORATION 0F CONNECTICUT.

MOUNTING FOR ELECTRICAL DEVICES.

Application mea March 24, i924. 'serial No. 701,414.

This invention relates especially to a means for mounting face plates or similar members of electrical devices, and has for an obgect to provide a mountingor this type of. devices which may be entirely insulated so that .there will be no danger of the user being in]ured by touching a ground.

It is also an object ofthe invention to provide improved securing means for these face lo plates and the like, which will securely `hold the plate in proper position, and may be so ari'aiiged as to allow adjustmentof the plate so that it may be properly located, and which will also give a neat, attractive and finished l5 appearance to the completed installation.

' With the foregoing and other objects in view, I have devised the construction illustrated in the accompanying drawing, which shows the preferred construction for employ-4 ing the principles of my invention, and which drawings form a pait of this specication. In this drawing, l

Fig.- 1 is a partial side elevation and a partial section showing a receptacle and its face plate in position on the outlet box.

Fig. 2 is a front view thereof looking from theriglit of Fig. 1. n

Fig. 3 is a View similar to Fig. 1 showing how the mounting may be employed for a switch. v

Fig. 4 is a front view of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a top plan view and a side elevalooking from the right tion, partly broken' away, showing the con-h4 struction of the finishing member.

Fig. 6 is a top plan view and a longitudinal section of the securing screw.

Fig. 7 is a detailed section of the securing means substantially on line 7 `7 of Fig. 1 and on an enlarged scale, and

Fig. 8 is a plan view'l of the countersunk opening of Fig. 2 with the securing screw removed. i

Referring to Figs. 1 and 2, numeral 10 reprcs'ents the usual metal wall box in which the,

the linger contacts of the ordinary caps. The` contacts arenot illustrated as they may be of any usual construction andform no partv of m present invention.. In the form shown in Figs. 1 and 2. the body 110ithe receptacle is made of insulating materialand is molded in one piece with the face plate 13, so that the face plate is also of insulating material. For the purpose of securing the face plate and the receptacle over the opening in .the wall box, openings 14 are provided in the plate for passage of the securing screws l5. Although I do not wish to be limited to this specific construction, the head 16 of the screw is preferably substantially cylindrical to provide a shoulder 17 on the under side thereof, 4and the opening through the face plate is countersunk to receive this head. Although it may not be necessary in all cases,I the opening 12 and its countersunk are preferably elongate-d somewhat, as shown in Fig. 2, so that the plate and the receptacle may have a certain amount of lateral adjustment to insure its location in proper position, it being well known that the wall boxes are usually not accurately positioned in the Wall. It will thus be apparent, that when the secpring screw is passed through the opening in the plate and threaded into the ears' 18 of the Wall box, they may be tightened so that vthe shoulder. 17 will clamp against the bottom" w al1 of the countersink and retain the plate in'it's adjusted position. It is preferred to make the depth of the countersink substantially the same as the length of the head of the screw so that 'the outer end of the head will be substantially flush with the face of the plate, but this, of course, may be varied as desired without departing from the spirit-of m invention. The screw is, of course, provide with suitable means to coact with a tool for operating it, such as a transverse slot 19.

"After the plate has been secured in the proper position, nis'hing'members 20 are re movably secured to the screw. These membersmay be made of different constructions or of different appearances, but it is preferred to use a construction substantially, as shown in Fig. 5, in which there is a bod portion of insulating material having suitey le or-v namentation on its outer surface, such as .radial ribs 21, and also has a threaded stud 22 adapted for engagement in a tapped or ythreaded opening 23 leading from the outer end of the securing screw. The stud 22 is preferably provided with a head 24 molded in thebody' of the finishing member, so that they are securely fastened together. The iinishing member is applied to the screw by portion of this member is of sufficient size to' cover the head of the screw and also the countersunk portion of the elongated opening in the face plate in any position of the screw in this opening. Thus the finishing member gives a neat and attract-ive finished a pearance, and the body portion thereof being of insulating material removes all possibility oi the user placing the finger in contactwith a conducting element which ma at'any time be rendered alive electrically y any defect Vin the electrical' connections or the insulation. It also allows the metal head of the screw to do the holding for the face plate, givin a rigid and reliable securing means for this p ate.

Referringto Figs. 4 and 5, I have shown how a similar securing means may be employed for the face plate of a. switch or similar device which is separate from the face plate. In the ordinary arrangement of these devices, the switch, the body of which is shown at 25, is mounted on a metal strap or yoke 26 having elongated slots 27 at its opposite ends to receive screws 28 for securing the yoke to the ears 18 of the wall box. The adjust'inent here is secured by means of these elongated slots in the yoke. The face plate 29 is a separate member but is preferably made of insulating material, and has countersunk openings 30 to receive the securin screws 15,

as in the first form, except that t ese screws f are threaded into the yoke 26. VAs adjustment for the switch and the face plate is allowed by the slots 27' in the yoke, it is not necessary in this layout to have the countersunk openings 30 in the face plate elongated as shown in Fig. 2. Aside from this the use of the securing screwsf15 and the finishing member 20 is exactly the same as in the first form.

Having thus set forth the nature of my invention, what I claim is:

1. In an electrical device, a face plate of insulating material adapted to cover the open side of a Wall outlet box, a securing means for securing said plate toa support and exsed at the front of the plate, a separate finishing member including a body portion of insulating material, and means to removably secure said member to4 said securing means, said body portion being of a size to cover said securing means.

2. In an electrical device, an electrically dead front face late adapted to cover the open side of a wa l outlet box, an electrically conducting sec'uringmeans for said plate having connection with said box and exposed at the front of the plate, a yseparate iinishing member including a body portion of insulating material, means Ito removably secure saidv -a size to cover said means.

4. In an electrical device, a face plate of insulating material adapted to cover the open side of a Wall outlet box and having a countersunk openingtherein, asecuring screw extending through said opening to secure the plate over said box and provided with a substaiit-ially cylindrical head having a shoulder on its under side to engage the bottom of the countersink, said head being also provided with means to coact with a tool to operate said screw and a threaded opening leading from its outer end, and a separate finishing 111cmber havinga. threaded stud in the opening in the screw and a body portion of insulating material covering the head of t-he screw.

5. In an electrical device, a face plate of insulating material adapted to cover the open side of a wall outlet box, a securing screw extending through said plate for fastening the plate to said box and having a head provided with means to coact with a. tool for ma- 10" nipulating the screw, a separate finishing member, and means to removably secure said member to said screw, said member including a body portion of insulating material covering the head of the screw.

6. In an electrical device, a face plate of insulating material adapted to cover the open side o'f a wall outlet box,A a securing screw extending through'said plate for fastening the plate to said box and having a threaded 1w TONJES A. BOTH. 

